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Portis Named Associated Press SEC Player Of The Year

BY
Razorback Communications March 16, 2015

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Just one day after playing in the SEC Championship game and learning his team’s NCAA Tournament fate, Arkansas sophomore Bobby Portis was named Associated Press (AP) SEC Player of the Year on Monday. The Razorback big man was also a unanimous choice to the AP’s All-SEC first team and a U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America second team honoree.

Arkansas junior Michael Qualls joined Portis in earning AP postseason accolades on Monday. Qualls was named to the AP’s All-SEC second team.

Named one of five finalists for the new Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame, Portis is also the lone sophomore in the Wooden Award Final 15.

Portis finished as the SEC-leader in scoring at 18.6 points in conference-only contests. The two-time SEC player of the week also led the league with nine double-doubles in conference play (program record) and reached double figures in all 18 SEC games.

One of three high-major players averaging 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, Portis is the first player in program history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds by the end of his sophomore season. He is also just the third sophomore in Arkansas history to reach 1,000 points.

Qualls recently became the 37th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, which fittingly came on his team-leading 31st dunk of the year on Saturday against LSU. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Qualls is seventh in the SEC in scoring (15.5), while teaming with Portis to form the league’s top scoring duo at 33.0 points per game. Qualls has reached double figures in 28 of 34 games, highlighted by 10 20-point outings compared to just three over his first two seasons.

Known for his highlight-reel dunks, Qualls has landed on the #SCtop10 five times this year to bring his career total to a staggering 13. Qualls has proven he is more than a high-riser the last two seasons, hitting 94 three-pointers over that span, highlighted by a career-best 52 this season. After reaching double figures in just three of his first 29 career games, Qualls has done so 54 of his last 69 en route to becoming the 26th Razorback to score 1,000 points in three seasons.

Arkansas will return to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed in the West Region and will take on No. 12 seed Wofford in Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday (March 19). The NCAA Tournament appearance will be Razorbacks’ first since 2008 and the program’s 30th overall. Arkansas earned an at-large bid after finishing second in the SEC regular season standings and second in the SEC Tournament.The Razorbacks enter March Madness at 26-8 overall, its most wins since the 1994-95 season. Arkansas has won 10 of its past 13 with all three losses coming to NCAA Tournament teams.

Either Qualls and Portis has been Arkansas’ top scorer in 30 of 34 games this season, combining for 30+ points 22 times (16-6), 40+ in seven games (7-0) and two 50-point performances. Both have finished in double figures 26 times while combining for 23 of the team’s 26 20-point games. One of the two has reached the 20-point plateau in 19 games. Qualls and Portis don’t just get it done on the offensive end, as they rank one and two on the team in rebounding, leading the way on the glass 31 times.